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A Little Trip to Heaven (2005)
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After 20 years of payment, Mr. Fender, this can't be! Considering the circumstances, I think the death benefit is more than generous. But we only missed a couple of payments toward the end! You know, a lawyer could probably get you a bigger settlement. But in the long run, he's gonna cost you. After the policyholder's Paramed came back clean, he signed up for a Preferred Best Rate. Essentially, this means we lowered his monthly premiums, because he didn't drink, and he didn't smoke. Now, if I can just draw your attention to the highlighted section right here. But Hector, he quit the smoking years ago. Perhaps you would turn and look at the screen behind you. As you can see, the policyholder was not exactly honest with you. You spied on my husband? You bastard! I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to take this check back. But you can't! You just gave it to me! No, maybe not. Maybe if I told them that you had already accepted it. Little trip to heaven On the wings Of your love Banana moon Is shining in the sky Feel like I'm in Heaven When you're with me Know that I'm in Heaven When you smile Though we're stuck here On the ground I've got something That I found And it's you You're my North Star When I'm lost And feeling blue The sun is breaking Through the clouds Don't you know, Know it's true Honey, all the other stars Seem dim around you I'm thanking my lucky stars That I've found you When I see Your smiling face I know nothing's Gonna take your place And it's you I'd shout like that old fly What are you drinking, sugar? Give me a Bud. You gonna need a room? No. Just passing through. Well, ain't that a crying shame. You want another shot, honey? On the house. Not tonight, hon. 'Night. Shit! Thanks, man. Do I know you? It's pretty slick out there. You really should slow down. What the...? It's stuck. The belt's stuck! Slow down and stop the car! Let me out! Hey! No. No! Thanks. All right, then. Now, I've originally guessed that about half of you climbed aboard this bus after the accident. You all know that this Huntsville community bus is owned by the city. And you're thinking that the city might pay out big bucks. A nice juicy settlement if you were to file a medical claim. Well, I'm here to tell you that you're breaking the law. In the past, you could get away with this for sure. But what you might not know, is that behind that mirror is a video camera. You all have been videotaped. Now, I'm gonna sit right here, I'm gonna close my eyes, and I'm gonna count to ten. I strongly advise those of you who would like to remain free citizens to leave before I get to the count of nine. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Did you give them the video speech? The city ought to install those things. It'd make our jobs a hell of a lot easier. I've got a doozy for you, up in North Hastings. Our contact down at the Police Department, he heard that a guy named Kelvin Anderson died in the car accident. There's a woman named Isold, his sole beneficiary, Kelvin's sister. Kelvin busted out of prison a few years back, nobody's seen him since. Until now. Who the hell insured a con man with a million dollar death benefit? One of our bureaus down south. He did it before he went to prison. You want it, then? North Hastings? It's a couple hours. Come on, the drive will do you good. Can't this wait till Monday? Actually, Weaver called ahead, and the local yokels are kinda expecting you. He's a big scam artist, Abe. Weaver wants you to get on it right away. A weekend in Hastings. You're the man, Abe. Yeah, I'm the man with no wife and no kids. Geez, Frank. It's a lot of money, Abe. Make sure this guy is really dead. And if he is dead, dig up some dirt on him. About time you got here. Hello, fella! Hi. Name's William. My son, Russle. Hey. Abe Holt. Nice to meet you. How was the drive? Long. The car is registered to one Kelvin Anderson. Which came as quite a surprise. How's that? At first, we thought it was Fred's Malibu. Fred? Fred McBride. He's married to Isold. They, drive the same car. We ran the plates, checked the VIN number, it all checks out. We also found Kelvin's driver's license in the glove box. Yeah? Yeah. Poor sap. Burned to a crisp. He must have been drunk. Let's hope so, for his sake. Great, we can nail him for drunk driving. That'll teach him a lesson. What's on the other side? His sister, Isold. I reckon he came to hide out with her. You fellas know Kelvin? No, they're not from around here. What do you think? You gonna have to pay out on this one? Yeah. Looks like that. How much you reckon to lose? A lot. The death benefit's worth a million dollars. Death benefit. Damn! A million bucks? Who gets all that money? Isold's the sole beneficiary of this. Shit! Fred's gonna be drunk for a decade. Yeah, it's like you hit the jackpot. It came at a pretty high price. She lost her brother. Some might say that. Yeah. Let's get the hell out of here. When are you gonna break the news to the sister? You're in a hell of a rush. How about we ID the body before we start upsetting people? Geez! No! Sorry! Can I talk to you? Geez. Hello. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Well, you sure did. There's been an accident. An accident? No, no, it's just that time of the month. No, I mean by the tunnel, there was a car wreck. Was anybody hurt? Were you expecting anybody last night? No. Why? I, I was just trying to establish a time and if you were expecting... No, I mean, why would I be expecting somebody? Are you a cop? I'm Abe Holt, nice to meet you. Who was in the car? We haven't IDed the body yet. My husband's asleep inside, do you want me to wake him up? No, no, that's OK. You sure? Yeah, I'm sure, I, are you gonna be okay? Yeah. Okay. It was nice to meet you. Jesus! You scared me, little fellow. Where you going? Me? I'm going to town. Can I come, too? You? You want a ride to town? Thor! Breakfast! Your mom's calling. How long does it take to get to Heaven? Do cats get to go? You gotta go. Here, go. Jesus! What's the verdict? Death. He was frozen by fire. For all I know, this could've been the devil's grandmother. What about dental records? You serious? Are there any broken bones? He crashed into a tunnel. He broke... I mean, before. Before what? Like when he was younger. I'm not his family doctor. Can't you take some X-rays? With what? What do you two know about this, Fred? Fred? Why? They moved here a while ago. Why you so interested in Fred? You heard what the doctor said. The body could be anybody. Body? Okay, you're saying it's not Kelvin. Well, who do you think it is? Are you saying it's Fred? How? It's Kelvin's car. We found his driver's license. Yeah. Exactly. Wait... then how the hell did Fred end up dead in Kelvin's car? Kelvin. Kelvin? Well, that means Isold must be in on it? Somebody's got to collect the money. So where's Kelvin, then? That's downright crazy. Is it? A broken arm can bring in about $20,000. A leg, well, it all depends on where it's broken. Above or below the knee. Nyah! The big money... well, that all comes if you up and die. Can I help you? Hi. Hello, Isold. This is Abe Holt, he's... I'm an investigator. We met. I see you brought the whole force with you this time. What did I do now? Hey, Isold. There was an accident in the tunnel. Is Fred around? Isold. Everything all right? Yeah, we had a minor tragedy. Our cat's missing. Well, is he around? Who? Fred. Hey, Dad! Come here! Yeah. Hold it. Don't shoot. Don't shoot. I'm unarmed. This a raid? What's going on? Hey, Fred. Hey, man. What the hell was that? Got a new car? Taking it out for a spin. Fred, the police here wanted to ask you a question. Well, all right. Shoot. What happened? Yeah, I, just got silly drunk last night. We better get going. Don't you have a Malibu? Why, you want one? Yeah. Can I see it? Yeah. Sure. Come on. She's a little love, but, here's your Malibu. What's going on? What really happened to you last night? Nothing. Just got drunk, fell on my face. Honey, what are you doing? Let's get you cleaned up. Ain't no sunshine when she's gone It's not warm when she's away What would happen to your loved ones if you died? Ain't no sunshine when she's gone She's always gone too long Would they be protected? Every time she goes away Why gamble on tomorrow? Quality Life. Your future is in our hands. Here you go. It's all in the up and up. Fred and Isold are legally married. Like I told you. What do you want it for? It's for my files. Why'd you make Isold think you were a cop? When I tell people that I'm an insurance investigator they slam the door in my face and call their lawyer. Investigator? Aren't you guys called loss adjusters? We're concerned with the bottom line just like... any other business. Why don't you put that in your commercials, then? People with dead relatives being cheated out of their... What do you call it... Death benefits? Well, Fred looked pretty much alive to me. Yeah. Hey, Josie. Hey, Rusty. Can I get a receipt, please? Sure. Loss adjuster. Check under the bed. He's all gone. No monster. The night light. Can you tell me a story? What kind of story? A ghost story. No, you'll be up all night. Then I can help you carry Fred to bed. You're such a brat. What'd you say about me? Nothing. Night, dude. I want you to tell me a story. Me? All right. Let's see, once upon a time there was a man and a woman, and they were old and poor. I want a story about rich people. Okay. Once upon a time, there was a filthy rich millionaire, and his cheap-looking bimbo. All right, all right. Once upon a time, there was a king and a queen, and they lived in a big castle. Did they have a horse? They had a little horse named... Lightning. On the house. No, I don't... So... how long you stayin'? I'm leaving tomorrow. In the morning? Yeah, can't stay long this time. This time. Honey, once you leave Hastings, you ain't never comin' back. So... how's the big case going? It's... it's, it's going all right. You're friends with Isold, right? Sure. And Kelvin, you're friends with him, too? I really can't stay But baby, It's cold outside I've got to go away Yeah, but baby, It's cold outside This evening has been Been hoping That you'd drop in So very nice I'll hold your hands They're just Like ice My mother Will start to worry Beautiful, What's your hurry My father will be pacing The floor Listen to That fireplace roaring So, really, I should scurry What about Fred? Who? Fred, you know Fred. Fred. He treats her okay. That's not what I'm sayin'. How'd a guy like that end up with Isold. Up here we gotta take what we can get. What's in this drink. No cabs to be had Out there I wish I knew how. The night of the accident, anything strange happen? Nothing happens around here. I'll take your hat, Your hair looks swell I ought to say no, No, no, sir. Mind if I move in A little closer I don't... Come on. I don't... You can dance. No, but... Everyone can dance. Hey, I simply must go. Yeah, but it's cold Out there. Shit. Come on! She giving you problems? Hey. You're back? Say, you were at the bar the other night, weren't you? Yeah. Yeah. You see anything? You sure do ask a lot of questions. You're still here? Yeah, still tying up some loose ends. Ever find out who was in the car? As a matter of fact, we think it might be Kelvin. Kelvin? Yeah. Your brother. What was he doing in Hastings? You're sure it was Kelvin? You were expecting him? Expecting him? First place the cops would look? Had to be kinda stupid to hang out at his sister's farm, don't you think? Like driving around in your old Malibu with your driver's license in the glove box... and you're an escaped con. Where's Thor? I don't know. Excuse me, I gotta find him. Thor! Thor!! Thor! Thor!! Hurry up, sweetie! Come on! I think you better leave. All right, then. What's that? What's what? What's MVC stand for? This old thing. It's, Mid Valley Central. Yeah, go Bulldogs. All right, then. Where you going with the boy? I can't believe this is happening again. Come on. Come on. Those cops called. Man, were they pissed. Tell Weaver I'm gonna need a couple of extra days. He wants you back, Abe. Today. Tell... tell... tell him my car broke down. Your car? Yeah, that... they... they said it'd be done by tomorrow. You gotta do something about that stutter, man. It gives you away every time. Look, if you want to milk your per diem, that's your business, but you can't go around joyriding on the company's time. I think I'm on to something. I can feel it. All right. I'll go to bat for you. Come back with something big or this adventure is out of your own pocket. Now look, let me explain. I don't want to hear it right now. Isold, sorry, all right? For what? Making us hide out like fucking rats? I feel like I'm stuck in a mud flat. Fuck. Look, it... it was an accident, all right? Why Kelvin, then? I just took advantage of the situation. I've heard that before. We can finally get out of this backward-ass town! Go ahead, keep running. You're goddamn right I'll keep running, 'cause it's shit here! It's shit, Isold! Squattin' here... trying to squeeze every last drop outta this frozen land? It's like we're... waiting for the weeds to grow over our own goddamn graves! If you hate it so much, then why the fuck don't you stay away! And take Thor with me? Look at you. Mother-fucking-Teresa all of a sudden. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Let us not forget how you got these. Quiet in the corridors and no running! May I help you, young man? Are you looking for a student of ours? A former student. Sorry, Ma'am. Who, might I ask, are you looking for? Freddy McBride. McBride? Do you mean Frederick McBride? Yeah! You remember him? I'm sorry, who did you say you were again? We don't tend to discuss the private records of our students with perfect strangers, I'm sure you understand. Well, don't worry, I'm... I'm... I'm family. Family? Yeah, yeah, I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm his brother-in-law. Really? Frederick McBride. What was your name again? My name? Yeah. Kelvin. Kelvin Anderson. Kelvin Anderson? Yeah. Fred's married to my sister, Isold. So, Frederick McBride is married to your sister? Yeah. Anderson. Anderson. Well. Kelvin Anderson. Welcome back to Mid Valley Central. You from up North? Yeah. How could you tell? We don't get too many outsiders round these parts. You a cop? Martha, tell me, how long you been workin' here? Since I was about 15. You must know lots of folks around here. I reckon I've served the entire town once or twice. Do you know the McBrides? Sylvia McBride? Yeah. Sylvia. You know her? Why you lookin' for Sylvia, officer? No, no, I'm not a cop. See, I'm... I'm... I'm with the State Assessment's office. It seems we owe her some money. We overcharged her on some property taxes years back but it's tough, I haven't been able to locate her. That's 'cause she don't live here no more. You wouldn't happen to know whereabouts she went, would you? No. Maybe you can tell me where she used to live. I'm sure I could track her down that way. How much money did you say it was? It's a lot. It's... it's... it's a lot. She used to live on Route 12. About 15 miles past the junction. You got a street address? Honey, there ain't no street signs out there. I try to do it quietly Not a whisper, More like a shock I try to Disorganize neatly What to keep And... what to block Are you a McBride? No. You? No. I don't reckon you belong around here neither. Do you know where I can find the McBrides? Follow me. Don't let the fire get you. I'm just killing some weeds. I wait for the moment To call Or will I hesitate I'm trying to get something to grow around here. I guess it's a waste of time. Daniel McBride. Sometimes, it's just time to pick up and move. Jesus. Frederick McBride. All right, all right. You poison my food? With what? Methane gas? Goddamn it, Kelvin! Why don't you just light him up a doobie? It's Fred. My name is Fred. Hello? Frank, I got a favor I need from you. I need you to look into something for me. Okay. I want you to find out if Kelvin had any kids. What for? I told you Isold is the only name on the claim form. Just do it, I need this. Okay, I'll stop by the records. Frank... Find out who the mother is. The mother? I need to know. Isold! You done? Sorry. We did it! High five. Hang on here. And how is Frederick McBride today? Surviving. Is Isold home? Yeah, she's inside. I need to talk to her. Back again. Yeah. I'm afraid I need you to identify Kelvin's body. I was... just... fixing Thor a snack. Come on in. Is this you and Kelvin? That's us. He took real good care of me. Come on, buddy, get inside. You hungry? Let's get you a sandwich. Let's sit down. Everyone else said he was crazy. He got into fights all the time. One day he tied a firecracker to the back of a cat and set it loose in our classroom. The teacher sent him home. Said he was sick in the head. When did you see him last? Yeah, when was that? William and Russle... they're meeting us at the morgue. We better get going if we want to beat the storm. Sure, just let me get Thor. It's not a good idea to take the boy on the road in this kind of weather. What do you say, little man? You wanna stay here with me and finish building the snowman? Yeah, Daddy. No, no, he'll be fine. I'll put him to bed with a good story. I'm gonna wait outside. That's a nice one. Yeah. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Just identify the body, and Kelvin's history. Don't bring Thor into this mess. Sweet-talk him, would you? Do what you do best. You still know how to... Flirt with a man, don't you? What are you now? My fucking pimp? Hey, Thor! Swim like a fish! Where's William and Russle? They'll be along. It's here. That could be anybody. It could... couldn't it? He didn't die on impact. Do you know what it's like to burn to death? First the fat oozes out of you. It starts poppin' and bubblin' like a hot dog on a barbecue. Then your eyes... They crack... like glass. Your skin burns off layer by layer until... the fire hits bone. And that's not the worst of it. It's the smell. Your hair singes... but you can't reach for your head 'cause your hands are gone. Imagine what it's like to smell yourself die. What's going on in here? Nothing. I... I... I was just... Bringing her by to ID the body. That's our job, son. Well, who is he, then? It's him. I guess things are gonna be different now, aren't they? Why? What do you mean? The money. What money? The million dollars, Kelvin's life insurance policy. As you probably know, you're the sole beneficiary to that. Who's that? Ta, ta, ta... Thor! Let's go, buddy. Come on! Come on. Let's go. Let's go, Isold, I gotcha. Come on. Get in the back. Come on! Answer the goddamn phone! I'm sure they're okay. The line's probably down. You never notice your mistakes when you're making them. Then it all catches up to you when a kid comes along. I wouldn't know about that. You don't have kids? No. I haven't had that kind of luck. Luck. Yeah, I guess you could call it that. Thor asked me the other day, "Why is God in Heaven and the Devil in the ground? Heaven's so far away." What'd you say? I told him it's easier to lie down than it is to fly. Don't be embarrassed. I'm not. I'm ashamed of how I got him. Kelvin! Kelvin! Damn it, where are you?! Thor! Thor! What would happen to your loved ones if you died? Would they be protected? Hello? Kelvin, is that you? Where's Thor? Thor's fine. Jesus Christ, Kelvin, what the fuck are you doing? Calm down, Isold. Don't tell me to calm down! You went too far. It was an accident, okay? You killed somebody. And you're a millionaire, motherfucker! You're sole beneficiary. Just go and get the money and Thor and I will be waiting for you, okay? Will you let me talk to him? It's for you. Hi. It's me, sweetie. I'm eating a milkshake. For breakfast? You're a naughty boy. See? Everything's fine. Now, listen, they have 14 days to pay you once you file the death certificate, so I suggest... I can't believe you went this far! Listen, listen, go and play your part. Don't say that, this is murder! Just dumb luck. What the fuck are you talking about?! Who's body is down at the morgue?! Just some drifter I ran into at Josie's. Just one last con, Isold. Just one last con. This is gonna kill us, Kelvin. Nyah! I'm here to see Abe Holt. Please. Come in. Right. Isold. All right, then, you're here to collect the death benefit. Yeah. I'm afraid I have some bad news. There was a no-fault clause in the policy. What? What's going on here? May I draw your attention to the highlighted section. As you can see, it clearly states that the death must be a no-fault death. "No-fault"? An accident, like if the policy holder was run over by a car. What, like crashing into a tunnel isn't enough? That depends. Depends? That was... that was... That was... Before... before we got the blood tests back. It seems that... the policy holder... was driving under the influence of alcohol. A DUI. He was drunk? Well, blood tests don't lie. I know... it's difficult. Fifteen hundred dollars? That's the bluebook on the Malibu. I'm afraid that's the best I can do for you. I need that money. I'm sorry... Isold. We're just... just... just trying to run a business here. You know? Yeah, I wonder what my lawyer's gonna say about this. Would you like to use my phone? To call your lawyer? Thor. He's... He's... Kelvin's son. I know that. I need you to sign this document in order to take the check. Blood test on a charcoaled corpse. That was brilliant. The house always wins, right, Abe? Isold! Wait! What's all this crap about blood tests! The body was fried! I just saved you there. Insurance fraud is one thing. Accessory to murder, that's another. I haven't reported that Kelvin's alive, but there is no money. He's got Thor! He took Thor? I need that money! Get me Mike Connor over at Central Savings and Loan. Mike... it's Abe Holt, over at Quality Life. I need you to put a hold on a check for me 'till tomorrow. Check number QLI 3245. Okay, I got it. Just a minute, please. Is there a problem? I'm sorry, there has been a hold placed on this check. You'll just have to come back tomorrow. 14, 20, 40, 60, 80... fifteen hundred dollars. And I need to open up a safety deposit box. Come on. Let's get out of here, yeah? Come on. OK, honey, let's get your clothes on. What the fuck? What is this? It's the bluebook on the Malibu. Where the fuck is the rest of it? Central Savings and Loan. Go and get it yourself. Come on. We're gonna go home, sweetie, okay? Yeah. Where are you taking my son? Your son? You mean Kelvin's son, don't you? I'm Kelvin's sister, I'm next of kin. What are you talking about? You're dead, remember? Thor belongs to me now. Wait, wait! Wait, wait, wait! Is that why you went through it all? Changing my ID, marriage... No, that was to get the cops off your back. Anyway, it was your stupid idea. Your forged the marriage papers. Do you think I'm stupid? Do you? No! I hope you're not bluffing. Wait, wait, wait! Please don't take Thor away from me! Come on, little man. Say goodbye! No, Daddy! Okay, get inside. Wait! Let the boy go. Fuck! You went too far. Taking a boy from his mother. His mother? No, that bitch ran away years ago, man. Didn't she? Isold's not his mother. She's my fucking sister, all right? She's just looking after him. I know that. But she's still the mother. Let your son go. Let him go, Kelvin. Get out of the car, kid, come on. Go on. Nice and easy, nice and easy. I want you to get out of the car so we can talk. Nice and easy. Don't shoot. Don't shoot. Stop the car. Stop the car now. You shoot me, we both go down, all right? But you let me go... I'll split the money with you. A million dollars. There is no money. I switched the insurance policies. What do you mean? I insured Frederick McBride. You can't insure a dead man. You brought him back to life. William and Russle will ID your body as Frederick McBride. For them, Kelvin's dead. So if I shoot, Isold collects a million dollars over a dead husband. Or give yourself up, and as far as I'm concerned, that poor sap is Fred McBride... I got you, you and Isold are millionaires? The House has to pay out every once in a while, otherwise people will stop gambling. Well, it looks like I'm pretty fucked! Stop! Stop! Stop the car! It's tragic. One of our own involved in your husband's death. I don't get it. Well, as usual, we did a background search. He came up absolutely clean. Not even a parking ticket. It seems Frederick McBride was a saint. You can't imagine. One million dollars. This will settle things as we agreed. Where's Daddy? Go to sleep, buddy. I can't. Want me to sing to you? Okay. Little trip to Heaven On the wings of your love Banana moon Is shining in the sky I feel like I'm in Heaven When you're with me I know that I'm in Heaven When you smile And I don't have to take No trip to outerspace All I have to do Is look at your face Before I know it, I'm in orbit around you I'm thanking my lucky stars That I found you When I see Your constellation You're my inspiration It's you You're my north star When I'm lost And feeling blue The sun's breaking Through the clouds Don't you know, Know it's true Honey, all the other stars Seem dim around you I'm thanking my lucky stars That I found you When I see Your smiling face Nothing's gonna take Your place, it's you And it's you, And it's you And you And it's you I try to do it quietly Not a whisper, More like a shock I try To disorganize neatly What to keep and What to block I'd shout like That old fly In that window And wait I wait for the moment To come Or will I hesitate There ain't no logic, There ain't no plain No roads you can travel Free from pain I'm only a shoulder, I'm only a kiss Good for comfort And cool for The diss The lord is my mom, She's my saint I'm her troubled boy Unto the grave I pretend she's blessing, Blessing me Hoping that she Saves me from This misery |
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